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When you shop for natural balanced dog food, what should you look for when choosing the best product for your canine friend? In general, the best natural dog foods achieve balance through the food ingredients they contain. However, you need to know what to search for before you're able to find truly natural and healthy options for your pet. Most dog foods are marketed as 'nutritionally balanced' or 'nutritionally complete,' indicating that the constituent food ingredients have been supplemented with nutrients at the levels recommended by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which is essentially a pet food industry regulated entity.

Although these recommended nutrient levels are based on individual research data collected by the National Research Council (NRC), these data cannot possibly reflect the actual needs of every pet, as even identical twins may exhibit metabolic differences based on environmental factors alone. How can laboratory-based nutritional studies, or even laboratory-based feeding studies, compare to real life scenarios if even the qualities of the water supplied to the animals differs from lab to lab and home to home? Moreover, most laboratory studies are conducted with 'purified' diets, which are a far cry from present-day commercial dog foods. As well, the quality of nutrients added to attain the AAFCO established levels to allow dog foods to be marketed as 'complete' or 'balanced' are often of such low quality that they may actually pose risks to, rather than support, your dog's health. Many of these supplements are manufactured in China, where manufacturers may have low quality assurance and are often subject to little oversight.

A natural balanced dog food is composed of real food ingredients that supply the nutrients that your dog requires to maintain good health-just as nature intended. Of course, supplementation with nutrients often becomes necessary when low-quality food ingredients are used, as is often the case in most so-called 'balanced dog foods.' Both non-certified and feed-quality ingredients alike contain low levels of nutrients, as well as a variety of toxic chemicals from agricultural and manufacturing processes. Not surprisingly, pet food manufacturers balance these ingredients with added nutrients to provide at least some nutrition for your dog.

Moreover, the long shelf lives of most balanced pet foods-designed to accommodate consumer convenience-require the addition of preservatives, which in the best case are 'natural' (albeit often derived from cheap, genetically modified plant materials with high pesticide and other chemical residues). In general, the bioavailability of all these added nutrients may be a far cry from optimal, as many of the supplemental vitamins and minerals may be not bioavailable. Bioavailability of added nutrients is especially low in cases where pet foods or their ingredients have been treated with high heat, which can destroy most vitamins and all enzymes, and may denature all amino acids.

A true natural balanced dog food contains ingredients that are rich in the nutrients your dog requires. High quality, organic, humanely raised animal-derived ingredients and properly grown, certified organic plant material are much richer in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and other nutrients than conventional (and significantly less expensive) ingredients. Although natural balanced dog foods are necessarily more expensive than most conventional dog foods, they are unquestionably healthier for your dog.

Feeding your dog natural balanced dog foods gives you the unique opportunity to provide real food for your dog and reserve supplementation-with high quality nutritional supplements that are truly healthful and bioavailable-for times when such supplementation is required (i.e., after injury, during pregnancy, or to mitigate the effects of particular breed-associated chronic diseases that may occur in older dogs). Ideally, natural balanced dog foods are either fresh or frozen, but may also be dehydrated for convenience. But be careful: not all dehydrated natural balanced dog foods are created equal! Even dog foods labeled 'natural' and 'balanced' may contain otherwise good quality ingredients that have been subjected to high heat before being mixed with other, lower quality, ingredients and dehydrated. Given current laws governing the pet food industry, you, as your dog's true guardian, must do your homework before serving him or her a natural balanced dog food!

Recent studies have shown that dog’s benefit from the same vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C, E and beta-carotene, as they do in humans. In fact, dogs reap the rewards of having these items in their system and show it the same way humans do as well. When anti-oxidants and vitamins are consumed in the food that dogs eat regularly, they have better digestion, live longer, have healthier skin and coats and improved eye sight. In addition, dogs who eat natural food that have greater amounts of vegetables and whole grain also have less of a chance of developing cancer and reinforce their immune system for better health and a longer life.

Although you may not be aware of this fact, the overall well-being of your dog has a great deal to do with the ingredients used to make up his or her food. With this in mind, if you want the very best of health for your canine friend, selecting a natural balance diet is the way forward.

The ingredients of all commercially produced dog foods are listed on the label of the packaging and this is the place you should start when choosing what you give your dog to eat. These components are detailed in the order of amount with the highest percentage of the overall product at the top, and the least at the bottom of the list.

Products showing meat and vegetables as the highest percentage on the label should be the recipe you are looking for. Try to avoid foods that state they contain such foods as chicken meat, fishmeal and other meat meals as these are not meat; they are simply by products from those animals. Such by products could be from the fur or feathers of the animal or even fish scales in the case of fish meal, so it is best to steer clear of foods with their main ingredient as meals.

A natural balance dog food should be one that contains no chemicals. However, within the wide range of commercially produced food for dogs, these are few and far between as the majority of this type contains preservatives, flavorings and colorings of a chemical nature.

So how do you find the best kind of dog food? Well, you could start by taking a little time to carry out some research of your own. You will discover that natural dog foods only use healthy ingredients and this promotes a shiny coat, bright eyes, as well as ensuring the perfect functioning of the internal organs.

What you need is a natural balance dog food made up of meat and vegetables reared or grown by organic methods and this way you will be providing your animal with the very best food you possibly can, ensuring a happy and healthy life for your best friend.

There are many kinds of natural dog food now available on the market and are carried by large pet stores making them accessible and easy to find. In addition, natural dog food is affordable for all consumers.

As with any of the decisions you make in life, there's going to be a choice between two things. Once you make a choice between one thing and another, you make a trade off. Either you're trading off money if one product is higher, or the differing qualities and properties of the two products. Choosing a type of dog food is no different; there's various factors to weigh up that can ultimately influence and affect the decision you make. In the following article, I'll discuss a few reasons that make choosing a natural food for your dog the obvious step to make.

The type of food you select for your dog is of utmost importance. Food lays the foundations for a healthy and long life, so making the wrong choice can have ramifications on the quality of life your dog has.

Natural food possesses numerous advantages of its chemically based counterparts. The natural ingredients within the food mean that there is going to be a reduced likelihood that it will affect the allergies that your dog might have. This means less skin irritations (which, speaking from experience, aren't particularly nice to see) for your dog.

As well as containing less chemicals than processed food, natural food for your dog will also contain a lot more of the beneficial nutrients and minerals. This will help to keep your dog nice and healthy, the minerals needed for healthy bones, skin and organs are all in higher quantities within natural food.

Natural dog food is considerably more expensive than its processed counterpart, however. Ultimately then, you've got to weigh up whether it's worth the extra financial commitment you have to make if you want to buy natural food for your dog. A concluding thought I'll leave you with is the idea of false economy. Attempting to save money in the present by purchasing cheaper food for your dog might result in more vet bills throughout your dog's life.

Dog food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by dogs. Special foods given as a reward, and not as a staple, are known as treats.

Some people make their own natural balance food or feed their dogs meals made from ingredients purchased in grocery or health-food stores; many others rely on commercially manufactured food and natural dog food.

Stay away from any food that uses the word �y products. Some commercial pet food companies advertise
atural dog food and use �y products. For example, rather than using whole chicken, they have substituted by products like chicken heads, feet, and intestines. These by products are indeed
atural but they are not good for your dog.

Choose healthy fresh lean meat for your dog. Meat is the basic component of protein requirements of your dog. An all-natural balance dog food may contain lean meat like turkey, chicken, beef and fish. Kidney, liver and other organ meat are also good for your dog. Cook the meat before feeding it to your dog. Although dogs are carnivores, it is best to cook meat to kill the bacteria that may cause health problems to your dog.

Another source of all-natural balance dog food is the addition of vegetables to your dogs' diet. Vegetables act as antioxidants and a good source of nutrients and vitamins. You can add cooked corn, squash, peas and potatoes. Raw carrots and lettuce are also good for your dog.

Dogs need vitamin and mineral supplementation too. This will help to strengthen their immune system. Supplements, most of the food we offer contain additional ingredients to add vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients. It is always a good idea to also add some fish oil to your pet's food, an excellent source of essential fatty acids, as well as digestive enzymes and an overall multivitamin supplement containing key nutrients (a lot like your daily vitamins, only more important since a pet's diet tends to be less fresh and varied than yours).

Feeding a variety of healthy meals will create balance over the course of the week. The market does not offer much choices if the dog is kept on one brand of commercial food. Unless you are willing to use different brands, the limited choices may prove to be difficult for your dog to switch food easily.

You also have to make sure that your dog is well hydrated and there is plenty of water available for your dog. Avoid feeding with table scraps; it is not a good habit to teach your dog to eat leftovers.

A natural balance dog food should be one that contains no chemicals. However, within the wide range of commercially produced food for dogs, these are few and far between as the majority of this type contains preservatives, flavorings and colorings of a chemical nature.

As with any of the decisions you make in life, there's going to be a choice between two things. Once you make a choice between one thing and another, you make a trade off. Either you're trading off money if one product is higher, or the differing qualities and properties of the two products. Choosing a type of dog food is no different; there's various factors to weigh up that can ultimately influence and affect the decision you make. In the following article, I'll discuss a few reasons that make choosing a natural food for your dog the obvious step to make.

The type of food you select for your dog is of utmost importance. Food lays the foundations for a healthy and long life, so making the wrong choice can have ramifications on the quality of life your dog has.

Natural food possesses numerous advantages of its chemically based counterparts. The natural ingredients within the food mean that there is going to be a reduced likelihood that it will affect the allergies that your dog might have. This means less skin irritations (which, speaking from experience, aren't particularly nice to see) for your dog.

As well as containing less chemicals than processed food, natural food for your dog will also contain a lot more of the beneficial nutrients and minerals. This will help to keep your dog nice and healthy, the minerals needed for healthy bones, skin and organs are all in higher quantities within natural food.

Natural dog food is considerably more expensive than its processed counterpart, however. Ultimately then, you've got to weigh up whether it's worth the extra financial commitment you have to make if you want to buy natural food for your dog. A concluding thought I'll leave you with is the idea of false economy. Attempting to save money in the present by purchasing cheaper food for your dog might result in more vet bills throughout your dog's life.

When you shop for natural balanced dog food, what should you look for when choosing the best product for your canine friend? In general, the best natural dog foods achieve balance through the food ingredients they contain. However, you need to know what to search for before you're able to find truly natural and healthy options for your pet. Most dog foods are marketed as 'nutritionally balanced' or 'nutritionally complete,' indicating that the constituent food ingredients have been supplemented with nutrients at the levels recommended by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which is essentially a pet food industry regulated entity.

When you shop for natural balanced dog food, what should you look for when choosing the best product for your canine friend? In general, the best natural dog foods achieve balance through the food ingredients they contain. However, you need to know what to search for before you're able to find truly natural and healthy options for your pet. Most dog foods are marketed as 'nutritionally balanced' or 'nutritionally complete,' indicating that the constituent food ingredients have been supplemented with nutrients at the levels recommended by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which is essentially a pet food industry regulated entity.

Although these recommended nutrient levels are based on individual research data collected by the National Research Council (NRC), these data cannot possibly reflect the actual needs of every pet, as even identical twins may exhibit metabolic differences based on environmental factors alone. How can laboratory-based nutritional studies, or even laboratory-based feeding studies, compare to real life scenarios if even the qualities of the water supplied to the animals differs from lab to lab and home to home? Moreover, most laboratory studies are conducted with 'purified' diets, which are a far cry from present-day commercial dog foods. As well, the quality of nutrients added to attain the AAFCO established levels to allow dog foods to be marketed as 'complete' or 'balanced' are often of such low quality that they may actually pose risks to, rather than support, your dog's health. Many of these supplements are manufactured in China, where manufacturers may have low quality assurance and are often subject to little oversight.

A natural balanced dog food is composed of real food ingredients that supply the nutrients that your dog requires to maintain good health-just as nature intended. Of course, supplementation with nutrients often becomes necessary when low-quality food ingredients are used, as is often the case in most so-called 'balanced dog foods.' Both non-certified and feed-quality ingredients alike contain low levels of nutrients, as well as a variety of toxic chemicals from agricultural and manufacturing processes. Not surprisingly, pet food manufacturers balance these ingredients with added nutrients to provide at least some nutrition for your dog.

Moreover, the long shelf lives of most balanced pet foods-designed to accommodate consumer convenience-require the addition of preservatives, which in the best case are 'natural' (albeit often derived from cheap, genetically modified plant materials with high pesticide and other chemical residues). In general, the bioavailability of all these added nutrients may be a far cry from optimal, as many of the supplemental vitamins and minerals may be not bioavailable. Bioavailability of added nutrients is especially low in cases where pet foods or their ingredients have been treated with high heat, which can destroy most vitamins and all enzymes, and may denature all amino acids.

A true natural balanced dog food contains ingredients that are rich in the nutrients your dog requires. High quality, organic, humanely raised animal-derived ingredients and properly grown, certified organic plant material are much richer in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and other nutrients than conventional (and significantly less expensive) ingredients. Although natural balanced dog foods are necessarily more expensive than most conventional dog foods, they are unquestionably healthier for your dog.

Feeding your dog natural balanced dog foods gives you the unique opportunity to provide real food for your dog and reserve supplementation-with high quality nutritional supplements that are truly healthful and bioavailable-for times when such supplementation is required (i.e., after injury, during pregnancy, or to mitigate the effects of particular breed-associated chronic diseases that may occur in older dogs). Ideally, natural balanced dog foods are either fresh or frozen, but may also be dehydrated for convenience. But be careful: not all dehydrated natural balanced dog foods are created equal! Even dog foods labeled 'natural' and 'balanced' may contain otherwise good quality ingredients that have been subjected to high heat before being mixed with other, lower quality, ingredients and dehydrated. Given current laws governing the pet food industry, you, as your dog's true guardian, must do your homework before serving him or her a natural balanced dog food!